


Hot Chocolate at 11 PM

by bastanubis29



Series: #Nomin: The pure couple we deserve [1]
Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Coffeeshop AU, Haechan is scheming, I just want my kids to have love, I might write a sequel some day, Ijust wanted them to be happy, It just happened, Jaemin's a barista, Jeno might lowkey be depressed?, Jeno's an idol, M/M, and a fan, happy ending i swear, idk - Freeform, oh god now there's angst, sorry - Freeform, the markhyuck is only implied, there's angst but also fluff, they're in love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-16
Updated: 2018-05-16
Packaged: 2019-05-07 15:52:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,440
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14674389
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bastanubis29/pseuds/bastanubis29
Summary: Jaemin's NCT bias is Jeno. Jeno's coffeeshop bias is Jaemin. They have a night of not worrying about consequences before the real world threatens to arrive in the form of dawn.(My boys are gay. They’re gay for each other. They’re in love. I promise. )





	Hot Chocolate at 11 PM

**Author's Note:**

> I was feeling some type of way about this ship tonight, so I decided it was time to try my hand at it.

 

Here’s the thing about being in love with an idol: the chance of one meeting them is slim to none at best, and even lower when considering the fact that you want to be with them and they most definitely won’t. And this is what Jaemin’s thinking about as he wipes down tables at closing time, keeping one eye on the television (which is playing a recent NCT variety show appearance) and one ear focused on the new album blaring from his earbuds.

He knows his chances are slim, but he just can’t get Lee Jeno out of his head, no matter how hard he tries.

The whole sexuality crisis had been hard enough to handle; realizing he liked boys more than girls wasn’t exactly something that was allowed in his household, as much as his parents assured him it was fine.

(He knows that they think it’s a phase, and he’s not okay with that, per say, but he’ll live.)

And Lee Jeno is a celebrity. Only good for the occasional daydream, not as a base point for all the guys he’s dated. Jaemin can’t help it. He’s got a type, and that type is Jeno.

(His friend Donghyuck tells him to get over it, but how is it possible to get over someone manufactured to be perfect?)

And maybe that’s why he can’t get a date. He’s too hung up over someone he’ll never meet to give anyone else a chance.

Another thing about being in love with an idol: you have to share them with hundreds of other fans whose chances are just as good as yours, if not better. 

Hell, Jaemin doesn’t even know if Jeno likes boys.

Because Jeno’s a manufactured image. Jaemin knows this, and still loves him, even though he could be completely different than he appears.

And Jaemin still loves him, not because Jeno’s beautiful (though he is, how could he not be?), but because he seems to genuinely care for his fans. Which means, by extension, he genuinely cares for Jaemin.

And even though they both live in Seoul, it’s a city of people, and Jaemin doesn’t have the time to go chasing stars.

(He does, however, have the time to twitter stalk said stars during his classes.)   


* * *

 

The cafe was meant to be an escape. Put on an apron, mindlessly fill out coffee orders, and not think about Jeno for a few hours. Maybe get some photos for his instagram if he was feeling particularly artsy.

They’d gotten idols, however, on occasion. Once, Minho had walked in and ordered an Americano, but left before being able to pick it up after being swarmed by fangirls. Jaemin was never there for those occurrences, but heard about them regularly from Johnny, the older barista who was friends with members of EXO by some small miracle.

(“They’re people too, Jaemin,” Johnny would remind him on days where he spent too long gazing at pictures of Jeno on his phone. “They’re all very far from perfect.”)

* * *

 

Closing time was Jaemin’s favorite time. It was easy enough to plug in an earbud and listen to music while tidying up the shop, and so few people needed coffee that late anyway.

But, a jingle of the bell hanging from the door startled him out of his groove, and he tucked the earbud away into the pocket of his apron, rounding the counter to stand behind the register.

Face masks and baseball caps were almost a sure sign of celebrity, but Jaemin, frankly, was too tired to care.

“Welcome to the The Vision cafe. What can I get you?” he asked, voice low and drained from a long day at work.

“Just a hot chocolate. To go, please?” And no, no, because Jaemin would know that voice anywhere, in any universe. He spent more time listening to that voice than he spent on his homework.

But, he was nothing if not professional, “of course. Can I get a name for the order?”

“Dude, there’s no one else here.”

“I know, but it’s store policy. It’s dumb, but I have to ask.”

“Can I give you any name?”

“Go for it.”

“Then, it’s Lee. Just Lee.”

“Alright. Should be up in a few minutes. Feel free to take a seat.”

* * *

Lee Jeno was good a two things: dancing and escaping from SM’s buildings. He was good at more things, but he took pride in those two things specifically.

He wasn’t proud of breaking his diet, because he really respected his trainer and wanted to make him proud, but he  _ needed  _ some hot chocolate, and he knew enough to go out and get it.

He also wasn’t proud of freezing up at the sight of an ethereal barista, but that couldn’t be helped. It was late, he was tired, and he could only hide his homosexual tendencies for so long.

Besides, this guy probably didn’t know who he was, so it was fine.

This guy was gorgeous, and he needed so badly to feel something.

* * *

“Lee?” Jaemin called into the empty coffeeshop, perfectly aware of where the customer was.

“Thank you,” the other male whispered, taking the cup from Jaemin’s hand, fingertips brushing like they always do in dramas.

Jaemin is (in his opinion) the least dramatic of his friends, but he would swear up and down that a jolt of electricity shot up his spine when their hands touched.

Jaemin turns away, however, returning to his job as one must, ears listening for the tell-tale jingle of the bell to signify that Lee Jeno had left.

But, the bell didn’t jingle, and when Jaemin turned around, Jeno was seated at a table, sipping his drink and… checking out Jaemin’s ass?

_ Well _ , Jaemin mused,  _ that certainly answers the question of whether or not he likes boys. _

“Is there anything else I can help you with? We close in five minutes.” Jaemin’s proud that his voice doesn’t shake and that he sounds completely professional.

“There might be something,” Jeno responds, looking at the lid of his cup like it holds the answers to life’s most difficult questions. “I’m looking to escape. Just for a night. But I don’t want to be alone.”

Jaemin is shocked still, eyes locked on the other male.

“Do you want to come with?”

* * *

 

Jeno doesn’t know what possessed him to ask.

* * *

 

Jaemin doesn’t know what possessed him to say yes.

* * *

 

Jeno waits as Jaemin locks the door, throwing his cup into a trash can outside and turning back to find the other looking at him expectantly.

“So, where are we going?”

“I don’t know,” Jeno responds, realizing for the first time that he has no real plans.

“Is there something I can call you? Lee seems a little bit too professional.”

Jeno looks at the ground, debating whether or not he can really trust this guy with his name.

“I’m Jaemin, if that helps.”

“Jaemin,” the word tastes  _ right  _ on his tongue, and he should have figured that a beautiful man would have such a beautiful name.

“Yep. Nothing special, but it’s mine. What’s yours?”

“Jeno. I’m Jeno.”

“Well, Jeno,” Jaemin says, linking his arm through the other’s, “we’re off on an adventure. Where to?”

“I don’t know. I don’t get out that much.”

“Well, then. I suppose that I’m our navigator for the night. Onwards!”   
Jaemin’s energy is contagious, and Jeno finds himself feel a bit more alive.

* * *

 

They go to a 24-hour ice cream shop, people watch on the bus, and find a side street market bustling with people despite the late hour and cold air.

Jeno’s too distracted to worry about being caught, the buzzing of his phone unimportant in comparison to the boy holding his hand and dragging him around Seoul.

He wonders if his bandmates would recognize him; he doesn’t think that he’s smiled so much in months, real smiles that reach is eyes and set off something deep in Jaemin’s chest.

Smiles that say that there’s something else there.

Something that he wishes he could lift off the other boy’s chest.

* * *

 

They’re curled up on the grass of an urban park, staring at the few stars they can see.

It wouldn’t be wrong to say that they’re cuddling, though it wouldn’t be entirely correct. 

The sun is coming up lazily in the east, and Jeno checks his phone for the first time in almost six hours.

The screen is flooded with texts and calls from various band members, and just as he’s putting it back down it lights up again.

“Hello?” 

_ “Jeno. We’ve been worried. Where the hell have you been?” _

“Just out. Thinking.”

Jaemin’s hand stills on Jeno’s back, and Jeno throws a glance at him before returning to his phone.

_ “You can’t keep disappearing. You know SM takes it out on all of us.” _

“I know, Taeyong. But I’m suffocating in the dorms.”

_ “They’ve taken a huge risk with us. We can’t make it any more difficult for them.” _

“I just want to be free.”

_ “You knew what you were signing up for. As long as you’re back before we leave, the boys and I can cover for you.” _

“I know. Thank you.”

Jeno hangs up, guilt eating at his stomach and nipping at his toes.

“You have to go,” Jaemin says it like a statement, not a question.

“I don’t want to.”

“You have obligations.” The finality in his tone eats at Jeno’s heart. “It’s better if you go now.”

“Better for who?”

“Both of us. No point getting attached, Jeno. Time for me to disappear like every other fan.”

They’re standing at a stalemate, neither really wanting to leave, but knowing that one has to. That they both have to.

“Jaemin,” he’s now choking on that beautiful word, that beautiful name.

“You needed an escape. I get it. I’m a good distraction. But it’s time for you to go. Before either of us do something that we regret.”

“I don’t think I’d regret it,” Jeno whispers, wishing he could go back to only a few minutes ago, when he held Jaemin in his arms and pretended that the sun would never come up.

“The sun’s coming up, Jeno. It’s time for me to turn to dust.”

And Jaemin turns, knowing that part of saving this boy will be breaking him, that he has overstayed his welcome in Jeno’s life. That he was meant to only be a blip on the radar.

But Jeno catches his wrist, and he turns back, if only for a moment, to see the sadness in Jeno’s eyes.

And he can’t stand it. So he steps close, and presses a light kiss to Jeno’s lips before turning away and disappearing into the dawn.

* * *

 

Jeno spends a few more nights at the coffee shop, pretending that Jaemin isn’t obviously ignoring him. He’s approached only by a friend of Jaemin’s, Donghyuck, who asks him each night to politely ‘leave before you make things worse’.

And Jeno can’t sleep, and it’s starting to affect the group. Because before, his sneaking out at least meant he had some hope, but now he is a husk of a husk, staring into the distance at the best times, breaking down into tears at the worst.

It’s strange to his bandmates because he had only known this boy for a night and they could not comprehend how affected Jeno had been.

It’s only after six days of this that Mark marches himself down the cafe, fully prepared to beat this Jaemin kid’s ass. He is interrupted, not by Jaemin, but by Donghyuck. 

Mark never had a sexuality crisis. He knew he liked women exclusively, but something about Donghyuck made him want to change his mind.

That is until Donghyuck started beating over the head with a takeout menu.

“What the hell, man!”

“Your dick of a bandmate gave my friend an emotional breakdown. And I can’t yell at him because he looks like his dog just died. You’re my next best option!” he punctuates each sentence with a smack to the back of Mark’s head.

“Well, your dick of a friend turned my bandmate into a shell, so I think I deserve to have that menu for a second!”

“Jaemin’s cried himself to sleep every night!”

“Jeno can’t sleep at all!”

“Jesus, they’re a mess, aren’t they?”

“Yeah.”

“Jaemin has some sort of masochistic personality because this is ridiculous. I’ve covered his shift for a week now.” 

“Jeno’s just sat around.”

“Well, Mr. Idol. How do we fix it?”

“I don’t know. Force them to talk to each other?”   
“Now we’re getting somewhere. See, here’s what we’ll do…”

* * *

 

Jaemin is back at work. He didn’t want to be, but Donghyuck was sick and no one else could cover for him, so he had to go.

It was only after closing time that he realized that no one had pressed him for where he had been. No one had seemed concerned with the bags under his eyes, or the puffiness of his cheeks.

“Excuse me?” a voice popped him out of his reverie, and he turned to face the cash register.

“Could I get a hot chocolate?”

“Name for the order?”

“Lee. It’s Lee.”

Jaemin’s eyes snapped up, and lo and behold, standing before him is none other than Lee Jeno of NCT, looking infinitely worse than Jaemin is.

“For here or to go?” Jaemin whispers.

“For here. You see, I need to escape tonight. But I’m lonely and could use some company. Plus, I missed you.”

Jaemin slumps down to the countertop, head heavier than it had been all week.

Eyes wet, he turns his head up toward Jeno. “Why me?”

“I need my hot chocolate at 11 pm. And, to be honest, I need you.”

“I’m nothing compared to you.”

“But you’re already everything to me. God, Jaemin. You’re so beautiful. Even like this, you’re breathtaking.”

Jeno leans in close, their breaths mingling over the counter.

“And I really want to kiss you. May I?”

Jaemin nods slowly, hope blossoming somewhere above his heart and making it hard for him to breathe, but he doesn’t need to because Jeno’s lips are on his and it’s everything he never knew he needed.

Jeno pulls away, and Jaemin lets out a whine of disappointment.

“I do still want that hot chocolate, though.”

* * *

 

Here’s the thing about being in love with an idol: it’s hard to see them. It’s hard to find a time when your life and theirs perfectly align so that you can have more than ten minutes with them.

But Jeno and Jaemin are making it work.

After all, they always have hot chocolate at 11 pm.

**Author's Note:**

> The NCT in the fic is NCT minus Haechan, Johnny, Jaemin, and Ten, who wasn't mentioned but will be important if I ever write a sequel.  
> Note: I don't have a set age for them in this fic, though it is implied that they are a bit older than they are currently.
> 
> Yell at me on Twitter (@bastanubis29)


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